Midfielder Scores First National Team Goal Since 2023 in Belgium Defeat
Saturday was a tale of two halves for Weston McKennie—a moment of redemption quickly swallowed by a tide of Belgian dominance.
The Juventus midfielder provided the afternoon's brightest moment for the home side, netting his 12th international goal in the 39th minute to put the U.S. ahead. The finish was characteristically opportunistic: Johnny Cardoso set a pick to free McKennie, who darted in front of Nicolas Raskin and volleyed Antonee Robinson's corner kick past keeper Senne Lammens. It was his first international goal in three years, and the roaring crowd of 66,867 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium responded accordingly.
It was, in many ways, McKennie doing exactly what he does best. At Juventus this season, which has been one of the finest of his club career, he has registered eight goals and five assists in all competitions, operating as a box-to-box force who can arrive late into dangerous areas and make things happen. Saturday's finish was a snapshot of that ability.
But the goal proved to be the high-water mark of his afternoon. McKennie was substituted off in the 70th minute, having completed just 55 percent of his passes, won none of his ground duels and contributed nothing defensively. The stat sheet told a story of a player who flickered without ever truly imposing himself on the contest.
Still, McKennie was measured in his post-match assessment, declining to sound the alarm. "I don't think it's a worrisome result for us, because within the team, we know we can do better," he said. "We know what went wrong, and we also know and believe fully that we can play with a team of this caliber."
Whether McKennie can translate his elite club form into consistent national team performances remains one of the most pressing questions facing the U.S. this summer.
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